


safety protocols

by TimelessSkyline



Category: Our Fair City (Podcast)
Genre: Domestic, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 17:53:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18015551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimelessSkyline/pseuds/TimelessSkyline
Summary: "Why do you always…" She can't find the words.





	safety protocols

**Author's Note:**

> Relistening to OFC brought back all my feels. Probably the shortest fic I've ever written. Companion for some silly drawing I put on Tumblr. No chill. No. Chill.

He is as indestructible as she is, but sometimes she forgets. It’s quite easy to.

He's standing there, babbling on about the new data he's collected for this particular project, but all she can see is the fresh hurt on his face, his lab coat burning away in a corner of the still smoldering lab.

"Stop," she mumbles, but he doesn't, he barrels through with his damn hypothesis and— _"Stop!"_

He pauses, brow furrowing. "My dear?"

"Why do you always…" She can't find the words. Instead, she grips the tattered remains of his singed cravat in one hand, while the other reaches up to brush the cut on his cheek. Reckless fool. It will undoubtedly heal in a few days, so long as she or Andrew, or the doctors, or even the molepeople remind him to put some salve on it, but surely their bodies can only be stitched up so many times, right? They can't survive such battering and bruising forever, because all she could see when she raced down here at the behest of the alarms was a massive fireball, and all she could remember was the drill, so long ago, and the silence over the headset, silence save for the vicious crackle of fire and the deafening crash of metal, and no response, _there was no response—_

Her hands are clasped in unnatural warmth, and she meets warm, dark eyes, their excitement tempered by gentle understanding. "My dear. I assure you, I am quite alright."

"Are—are you sure? You're—all this, it's…stable?"

He squeezes her hands. "I promise. I'm alright."

She holds his gaze sternly. Then she huffs and stretches up to kiss his tender mouth—gently, of course. Surely he's still sore from being flung back by his latest untimely explosion. Apparently, he doesn't mind the pain too much; he presses back firmly, a clear reminder that he's still here, toting his madness around with him as happily as he pleases.

"Oh, Herbert," she sighs softly, barely pulling back. "I love you."

"And I, you," he replies, eyes crinkling in the corners as he gives her a tired smile - he must be more worn out than she thought.

The comm on the wall crackles to life with Andrew's hesitance. _"Hey, Dad—uh, I mean Doct—I mean, Herbert? Is Mom down there? Did you guys put out the fires? Dinner's ready, and Dr. Caligari is getting, uh. Tetchy."_

Herbert hums and presses a button on the wall to allow their response. "All's well down here, _son_. We'll be right up."

Elizabeth laughs as Andrew splutters and signs off. She can just picture his freckled face, a pleasant red, much like the alarm lights that coaxed her down here. Poor dear.

Herbert turns a toothy grin her way and slings an arm over her shoulders, more a request for physical support than a gesture of comfort. "Well, our boy has summoned us for dinner. Shall we ascend?"

"I suppose so," she replies fondly. Really, though, they should definitely head up, lest Caligari march down here and drag them out. She's done it before.

They shuffle into the lift, soaking up what warmth they can from each other. As they rise, Herbert clears his throat delicately and murmurs, "Perhaps I could implement some, er, safety protocols later."

She lifts her eyes. "Really?"

He blows a strand of hair from his face and nuzzles her temple drowsily. He should definitely eat something. "If it will bring you even a modicum of peace, then of course."

She twists under him to kiss him carefully again, again, again. "Thank you, dear. That would be just lovely."


End file.
